Monday, May 09, 2005

Mother's Day was the best ever, filled with sunshine and dirt, flower seeds, mulching, and the hacking down of overgrown shrubbery. A good time was had by all, but mostly me, because I had the least to do with the shrub removal and everyone just gritted their teeth agreeably and did what I told them.

The bushes came apart in long branches, which meant that the girls immediately took off with them and constructed a fort by leaning them up against the fence. It's cool when they get along. And Gary and I both got a little nostalgic about how much we both used to love playing outside with random bits of nature.

With the oppressive bushes removed and our yard cleared Feng Shui-like, I really could have sat in the sun and watched the kids play happily all day. But we decided to up the stakes and take them and the dog to the park, stopping along the way at 7-Eleven for necessities.

P.S. The dog has added Slurpies to his list of reasons to live. Mountain Dew, please.

One of my gifts this Mother's Day was a serene Buddha statue seated in front of my house. I love it. But I think Gert loves it more. "Can I go see the Buddha?" she keeps asking, so we go out the front door and she sits down reflectively on the walkway in front of the statue. If the neighbors didn't think we were weird before, they do now.

We had to visit the Buddha this morning before going to daycare too. She made a beeline out around the front of the house, plopped down on the walkway and regarded the statue with great seriousness. "Why do we have a Buddha?" she asked.

"Because he reminds us to be kind to all the living things," I said, supposing it was too early in the morning for lessons on mindfulness or attachment.

"I am kind!" said Gert.

"Yes, you are."

And then Gert stood up with great enthusiasm and planted her very kind foot down on one of my flowers.